The South Pacific ain’t that terrific.|Sep. 09, 2011|United States|115 Min.|R
Genre: Comedy;Drama
Description: Matt King, a Honolulu-based lawyer, serves as the sole trustee of a family trust overseeing 25,000 acres of pristine land on Kauai. While the property holds immense financial value, it also represents a cherished family legacy. Unlike many of his cousins who have mismanaged their inheritances, Matt has maintained control of the trust, set to expire in seven years due to legal constraints. Under pressure from his relatives, he faces the decision to sell the land for hundreds of millions of dollars.
Amid these challenges, a boating accident leaves Matt’s wife, Elizabeth, in a coma. With her hospitalized, Matt must navigate his role as a single parent to his two troubled daughters: ten-year-old Scottie, who acts out to seek attention, and seventeen-year-old Alex, who struggles with substance abuse and attends a private boarding school. When doctors confirm that Elizabeth’s condition is irreversible and her living will requests the discontinuation of life support, Matt is forced to confront the harsh reality. Alex reveals that Elizabeth was having an affair, which had caused a rift between them during her last visit.
Matt learns from close family friends that Elizabeth was unhappy and had fallen in love with Brian Speer, a real estate agent, and was planning to divorce him. Determined to let Brian say goodbye, Matt takes his daughters and Alex’s friend, Sid, to Kauai to find him. During the trip, Matt discovers that Brian is connected to the developer his family wants to sell their land to, potentially profiting from the transaction. When Matt confronts Brian, the latter admits Elizabeth loved him but insists his true devotion lies with his own family. Matt, emotionally drained, returns home and asks a doctor to explain Elizabeth’s impending death to his youngest daughter, Scottie.
Cast director: Alexander Payne
Cast actor: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause, Patricia Hastie, Robert Forster, Judy Greer, Beau Bridges, Matthew Lillard, Rob Huebel
Original name: The Descendants